Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, February 24
Orlando, Fla.
11 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Florida Gulf Coast
Softball Begins 15-Game Swing Through Florida This Friday
2/22/2012 4:22:00 PM | Softball
Eagles slated for 15 games in 10 days
Click HERE for Game Notes.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University softball team will open up its 2012 campaign this Friday, Feb. 24 when it plays Florida Gulf Coast University in the University of Central Florida Tournament in Orlando, Fla. The Eagles will play 15 games in 10 days during its stay in the Sunshine State, with appearances in both the Courtyard by Marriot UCF Invitational and the Lipton Invitational. Live Stats will be available at EMUEagles.com.
EMU SOFTBALL KICKS OFF 32nd SEASON: The Eagles will start its 32nd season in program history this weekend when they head to Florida for a 15-game roadtrip. The Green and White have played 10 lidlifters in the sunshine state, with a 5-5 record in those contests. In their past three season openers in the state of Florida, the Eagles are 3-0 with wins over UMBC (6-1, Feb. 25, 2011), Villanova (13-5, Feb. 26, 2010) and Albany (8-0, Feb. 20, 2009).
EAGLES FLY SOUTH: EMU kicks off the 2012 campaign with a 15-game, 10 day swing through the Sunshine State. The schedule opens at the Central Florida Tournament hosted by University of Central Florida, Feb. 24-26, in Orlando, Fla. There, the Eagles will face four different schools in three days of work, including games against Florida Gulf Coast, Seton Hall, Jacksonville and UCF. EMU will then compete in a single game with the Knights on Feb. 28 before traveling to Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 29, for a 5 p.m. doubleheader with JU. On March 1, the Green and White will face the Florida Gators in a single-game matchup at 5 p.m. before partaking in the Lipton Invitational in Gainesville, Fla. The Eagles will face Campbell, UF and Gardner-Webb in the three-day event to round out their trip south.
A GLANCE AT THE COMPETITION: EMU holds a 3-3 record all-time with FGCU (4-6) and will face the Eagles for the seventh time in program history. In their last meeting, the Green and White dropped a 4-1 decision in the second half of a double header at FGCU. EMU will see Seton Hall (1-2) for the third time in program history, carrying a 2-0 advatange over the Pirates all-time. The two squads have not competed against each other in 28 years, as they last battled in the 1984 season where the Green and White coasted to a 10-0 victory. The Eagles will seek its first win over UCF (4-5) in the teams' fourth meeting on Feb. 26. The Knights are 3-0 all-time with EMU. The two teams and last met in UCF's 5-4 victory during the 2009 campaign. Both Jacksonville (4-7) and Gardner-Webb (4-2) will be competing against the Green and White for the first time. At the Lipton Invite, EMU competes with Florida (9-0) in just their third meeting, with the Gators owning a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series. Campbell (5-5) will see Eastern for the fifth time and trail the Green and White, 1-3, in the all-time series.
EAGLES WELCOME NEW ADDITIONS: The Eagles welcome seven newcomers in Jenn Lucas, Katie Fenech, Amanda Herron, Lindsay Rich, Kelli Janiczek, Jessica Wilkes, and Courtney Loe to the 2012 squad and will be looking to make major contributions this season. Lucas, a Pinckney, Mich. native was a four-year letterwinner for Pinckney High School where she was a four-time KLAA All-Conference selection. Fenech was a two-time KLAA All-Conference selection for Northville High School where she led the Mustangs to a conference and division title during her senior season. Herron hails from Columbus, Ohio where she was a three-year letterwinner in softball for Saint Francis DeSales. The first team All-Metro, All-District and All-CCL selection led the Staillions to the OHSAA State Final Four appearance in 2011. Rich played at Perrysburg High School and was a first team All-North Lakes League, Wood County first team and honorable mention All-Distrcit honoree. A native of Canton, Mich., Janizcek played four seasons at Plymouth Salem High School. She was a two-year captain for the Rocks and named to the All-KLAA Region, District and Division teams in addition to the All-Canton Observer second team recipient. Wilkes, a pitcher from Glen Ellyn, Ill. was a Metro Suburban All-Conference, Daily Herald All-Area, Suburban Life All-Area, Chicago Trubune All-State and ICA second team All-State recipient as a senior. Rounding out the newcomers is junior transfer, Courtney Loe. Loe, originally from Temperance, Mich., played two seasons at West Liberty University where she hit .304 as a sophomore, driving in a team-best 22 RBI on 31 hits, seven of which were for extra bases.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP: Sarah Gerber, McKenna Russ, Jessica Richards, Allison Scherer and Kaylee Tolliver will compete for the Eagles one last time in 2012. The Ohio-dominated senior class consists of three returning All-MAC reciepients in Gerber, Russ and Richards, while Scherer and Tolliver provided offensive support for the Eagles in 2011.
CONFERENCE TOUR: The Eagles will see a slew of representatives from several different conferences this season, taking on opponents from 13 different leagues in 2012. EMU will square off against teams from the Horizon League (Loyola-Chicago, Detroit-Mercy), Big East (Seton Hall, Notre Dame), Conference USA (Central Florida), Southeastern Conference (Florida), Big South (Campbell, Gardner-Webb), Missouri Valley (Drake), Atlantic Sun (Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Lipscomb), Southwestern Atlantic Conference (Alabama State), Sunbelt (Middle Tennessee State), Metro Atlantic Conference (Niagara), Atlantic 10 (Dayton), Summit (IPFW, Oakland), and the Big Ten (Michigan, Michigan State). The Eagles will also play an entire slate of MAC foes.
CLIMBING THE RANKS: Several players on the EMU squad are climbing the ranks in the program's career records list. Jessica Richards has scored 42 runs in her career, good for seventh most in program history, and has swiped 44 stolen bases for the Green and White for the fifth most all-time. Richards also owns a career .308 clip for the 10th highest batting average posted by an EMU player. McKenna Russ also owns high marks in several offensive catagories. The North Canton, Ohio native is currently second in career batting average (.329), second only to former teammate, Stacie Skodinski (.342). Russ has also hit 32 doubles for the eighth most in program history and has belted the ninth-most homeruns with 11 in her career. Sarah Gerber has also posted notable numbers throughout her tenure, including the second-best fielding percentage (.988) of any EMU softball player. She is tied for 11th in career batting average (.305) and is ninth on the career doubles list with 26 two-baggers in three seasons. Kaylee Tolliver is currently fifth in fielding percentage (.984), while teammate Nellie Coquillard sits in 10th for home runs with 10 round-trippers in her career. In the circle, Jenna Ignowski is slowly climbing the ranks in career strikeouts, fanning 178 opponents for the 10th most in program history.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University softball team will open up its 2012 campaign this Friday, Feb. 24 when it plays Florida Gulf Coast University in the University of Central Florida Tournament in Orlando, Fla. The Eagles will play 15 games in 10 days during its stay in the Sunshine State, with appearances in both the Courtyard by Marriot UCF Invitational and the Lipton Invitational. Live Stats will be available at EMUEagles.com.
EMU SOFTBALL KICKS OFF 32nd SEASON: The Eagles will start its 32nd season in program history this weekend when they head to Florida for a 15-game roadtrip. The Green and White have played 10 lidlifters in the sunshine state, with a 5-5 record in those contests. In their past three season openers in the state of Florida, the Eagles are 3-0 with wins over UMBC (6-1, Feb. 25, 2011), Villanova (13-5, Feb. 26, 2010) and Albany (8-0, Feb. 20, 2009).
EAGLES FLY SOUTH: EMU kicks off the 2012 campaign with a 15-game, 10 day swing through the Sunshine State. The schedule opens at the Central Florida Tournament hosted by University of Central Florida, Feb. 24-26, in Orlando, Fla. There, the Eagles will face four different schools in three days of work, including games against Florida Gulf Coast, Seton Hall, Jacksonville and UCF. EMU will then compete in a single game with the Knights on Feb. 28 before traveling to Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 29, for a 5 p.m. doubleheader with JU. On March 1, the Green and White will face the Florida Gators in a single-game matchup at 5 p.m. before partaking in the Lipton Invitational in Gainesville, Fla. The Eagles will face Campbell, UF and Gardner-Webb in the three-day event to round out their trip south.
A GLANCE AT THE COMPETITION: EMU holds a 3-3 record all-time with FGCU (4-6) and will face the Eagles for the seventh time in program history. In their last meeting, the Green and White dropped a 4-1 decision in the second half of a double header at FGCU. EMU will see Seton Hall (1-2) for the third time in program history, carrying a 2-0 advatange over the Pirates all-time. The two squads have not competed against each other in 28 years, as they last battled in the 1984 season where the Green and White coasted to a 10-0 victory. The Eagles will seek its first win over UCF (4-5) in the teams' fourth meeting on Feb. 26. The Knights are 3-0 all-time with EMU. The two teams and last met in UCF's 5-4 victory during the 2009 campaign. Both Jacksonville (4-7) and Gardner-Webb (4-2) will be competing against the Green and White for the first time. At the Lipton Invite, EMU competes with Florida (9-0) in just their third meeting, with the Gators owning a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series. Campbell (5-5) will see Eastern for the fifth time and trail the Green and White, 1-3, in the all-time series.
EAGLES WELCOME NEW ADDITIONS: The Eagles welcome seven newcomers in Jenn Lucas, Katie Fenech, Amanda Herron, Lindsay Rich, Kelli Janiczek, Jessica Wilkes, and Courtney Loe to the 2012 squad and will be looking to make major contributions this season. Lucas, a Pinckney, Mich. native was a four-year letterwinner for Pinckney High School where she was a four-time KLAA All-Conference selection. Fenech was a two-time KLAA All-Conference selection for Northville High School where she led the Mustangs to a conference and division title during her senior season. Herron hails from Columbus, Ohio where she was a three-year letterwinner in softball for Saint Francis DeSales. The first team All-Metro, All-District and All-CCL selection led the Staillions to the OHSAA State Final Four appearance in 2011. Rich played at Perrysburg High School and was a first team All-North Lakes League, Wood County first team and honorable mention All-Distrcit honoree. A native of Canton, Mich., Janizcek played four seasons at Plymouth Salem High School. She was a two-year captain for the Rocks and named to the All-KLAA Region, District and Division teams in addition to the All-Canton Observer second team recipient. Wilkes, a pitcher from Glen Ellyn, Ill. was a Metro Suburban All-Conference, Daily Herald All-Area, Suburban Life All-Area, Chicago Trubune All-State and ICA second team All-State recipient as a senior. Rounding out the newcomers is junior transfer, Courtney Loe. Loe, originally from Temperance, Mich., played two seasons at West Liberty University where she hit .304 as a sophomore, driving in a team-best 22 RBI on 31 hits, seven of which were for extra bases.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP: Sarah Gerber, McKenna Russ, Jessica Richards, Allison Scherer and Kaylee Tolliver will compete for the Eagles one last time in 2012. The Ohio-dominated senior class consists of three returning All-MAC reciepients in Gerber, Russ and Richards, while Scherer and Tolliver provided offensive support for the Eagles in 2011.
CONFERENCE TOUR: The Eagles will see a slew of representatives from several different conferences this season, taking on opponents from 13 different leagues in 2012. EMU will square off against teams from the Horizon League (Loyola-Chicago, Detroit-Mercy), Big East (Seton Hall, Notre Dame), Conference USA (Central Florida), Southeastern Conference (Florida), Big South (Campbell, Gardner-Webb), Missouri Valley (Drake), Atlantic Sun (Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Lipscomb), Southwestern Atlantic Conference (Alabama State), Sunbelt (Middle Tennessee State), Metro Atlantic Conference (Niagara), Atlantic 10 (Dayton), Summit (IPFW, Oakland), and the Big Ten (Michigan, Michigan State). The Eagles will also play an entire slate of MAC foes.
CLIMBING THE RANKS: Several players on the EMU squad are climbing the ranks in the program's career records list. Jessica Richards has scored 42 runs in her career, good for seventh most in program history, and has swiped 44 stolen bases for the Green and White for the fifth most all-time. Richards also owns a career .308 clip for the 10th highest batting average posted by an EMU player. McKenna Russ also owns high marks in several offensive catagories. The North Canton, Ohio native is currently second in career batting average (.329), second only to former teammate, Stacie Skodinski (.342). Russ has also hit 32 doubles for the eighth most in program history and has belted the ninth-most homeruns with 11 in her career. Sarah Gerber has also posted notable numbers throughout her tenure, including the second-best fielding percentage (.988) of any EMU softball player. She is tied for 11th in career batting average (.305) and is ninth on the career doubles list with 26 two-baggers in three seasons. Kaylee Tolliver is currently fifth in fielding percentage (.984), while teammate Nellie Coquillard sits in 10th for home runs with 10 round-trippers in her career. In the circle, Jenna Ignowski is slowly climbing the ranks in career strikeouts, fanning 178 opponents for the 10th most in program history.
Thank You, Team 38
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